Condenser



April 3, 1934- L. M. FORNCROOK 53, 93

CONDENSER Filed March 1?. 19:50 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ap 3, 1934. L. M.FORNCROOK CONDENSER Filed March 1'7. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 g. H v 3 m.a

5 J 8 1% H56 4 a INVENTOR Patented Apr. 3, 1934 a PATENT l o FiCONDENSER Lawrence Marvin Forncrook, Pittsburgh, Pa., as-

signor to Elliott Company, Jeannette, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication March 17, 1930, Serial No. 436,357

1 Claim 7 My invention relates to condensers and, in particular to apartial condenser of the tubular type, although it is not limitedspecifically thereto, since it has other applications. I

Distilling and condensing operations are involved in many chemicalprocesses, especially in those for the treatment of petroleum and otherorganic compounds. In such processes, it is customary to mount a partialcondenser directly on top of a fractionating column to liquei'y orpartially condense vapors passed therethrough. It has been observedthat, in condensers of the types known and used at present, the areas ofthe discharge passages are such that the velocity of the vapors isincreased at certain points in their travel through the condenser with aresultant decrease in the condensing effect and an increase in thefrictional resistance. Another disadvantage of the present types ofcondensers is that a considerable portion of the vapors is permitted toby-pass the condenser tubes because of the difference in the transversedimensions of the discharge outlet and the condenser.

I have overcome the foregoing objections to present types of condensersby providing a dome or collecting chamber at one end of the condenser.This construction avoids restricting the area of the passage at anypoint with resulting increase of the velocity of the vapors and anincrease in the frictional resistance. By avoiding the increasedfrictional resistance, the pressure loss is decreased and by keeping thevelocity within reasonable limits, the cooling effect of the condenseris enhanced.

A further feature of my invention is directed to the provision ofsuitable baffles to insure that all of the vapors from a vaporgenerator, such as a fractionating column, shall pass between thecondenser tubes and contact intimately therewith so as to obtain amaximum cooling of the vapors. Since the tubes of a tubular condenserare usually arranged in groups which form a continuous, circuitous pathfor the cooling fluid, the spaces between such groups permit a furtherbypassing of the condenser tubes by the vapors under treatment. Myinvention also contemplates the use of suitable baflles to prevent suchby-passing and to force all vapors through the tube bundles which makeup the condenser.

For a complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, showingthe invention applied to the top of the fractionating 55- column Figure2 is a vertical section taken through the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section along the line IIIIII of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a sectional View similar to Figure 2, showing a modifiedform.

Referring in detail to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a condenserindicated generally at 10, mounted at the top of a vapor generator, suchas a fractionating column, which is indicated in part at 11. Thecondenser includes a main shell 12 which actually constitutes anextension of the nozzle 13 of the column 11. The shell 12 has anexpansion joint 14 for a purpose which is well understood.

The condenser 10 as shown in Figures 2 and 3, is composed of water tubes15 connected to a liquid box 16 at one end and a reversing head 17 atthe other. The box 16 has suitable connections 18 for the supply anddischarge of cooling water.

Adjacent its upper end, theshell 12 of the condenser which forms acontinuation of the discharge outlet 13 of the column 11, is enlarged asat 19 to form a collecting dome or condensing space. From the collectingdome, a discharge conduit 20 carries the partially condensed vapors tothe other apparatus in which they are treated.

As may be better observed in Figure 2, the condenser tubes 15 do notoccupy all of the space within the shell 12, since a certain annularclearance space 21 is necessary to permit the removal of the condensertubes. I prevent vapors from the column 11 from passing directly to thecollecting dome 19 through this annular space 21, without intimatecontact with the condenser tubes 15, by providing a baffle 22 in theform of an annular ring, which is adapted to close the space between thetubes 15 and shell 12. In order to provide a unitary structure and tofacilitate easy removal, I prefer to suspend the ring 22 from the liquidbox 16 by means of studs 23.

As shown in Figure 3, the tubes 1.5 of the condenser 10 are arranged ingroups with free spaces therebetween. It is obvious that these spaces24, like the annular space 21, afford a passage for the vapors whichsubstantially by-passes the tubes 15. In order to prevent this effectand to insure that all the vapor passes over the tubes so as to haveintimate contact therewith, I provide auxiliary bafiles in the form ofstrips secured to the studs 23, which overlie the spaces 24. By means ofthe baflies 22 and 25, the vapors passing through the nozzle 13 arecompelled to traverse the tube bundles so that the latter exert amaximum cooling efiect on the vapors.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of the invention, which isidentical with that previously described, with the exception that thecondenser 10 extends well into the top of the column 11. Correspondingreference numerals are used to identify equivalent elements. Thisconstruction is desirable in some cases, and the invention is welladapted thereto, as shown in Figure 4, since it is only necessary thatthe shell 12 of Figure 1 be omitted and a short collar 26 be substitutedtherefor. The collar 26 includes the expansion joint 14, as shown in thepreviously described modification. The other elements are unchanged andthe description thereof is not repeated.

It is to be noted that the vapors to be treated enter the condenser tubebundle from the surrounding space in a direction which has a radialcomponent, and probably some component also of translation axially tothe tube bundle. Subsequently they pass axially thru the tube bundle,and pass outward into the collecting space again with a radialcomponent. The baffles are provided to insure this flow, and a highoperating efiiciency results.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the inventionafiords means for avoiding any restriction in the area of vapor passagesin condensing systems and that any increase in pressure or velocity ofthe vapors as they are discharged from the condenser is entirelyeliminated. In addition, the vapors are caused to pass between the watertubes in such manner that substantially all by-passing of the condensertubes is obviated. This feature permits the cooling tubes to exert agreater effect upon the vapors discharged from the generator.

Numerous alterations in the structure described can be incorporatedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. The condenser may bepositioned horizontally, as well as vertically. The invention is alsoapplicable to condensers of types other than partial tubular condensers.All such changes are intended to be included within the scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

The combination with a vapor generator having an outlet passage, acondenser cooperating with said passage but of smaller dimension, saidcondenser comprising groups of tubes separated by free spaces, of abafiie between said condenser and the wall of said passage, and bafilescovering the spaces between tube groups.

LAWRENCE MARVIN FORNCROOK.

